In the course of biological and medical research, radioactive isotopes are frequently used for metabolic labeling of various cells in tissue cultures. For example, compounds containing the radioactive isotope .sup.35 S can be added to a tissue culture to perform metabolic labeling of proteins. Most often, these cultures are incubated in containers such as hand-held flasks or vessels. During this incubation period, volatile radio-labeled gas compounds containing .sup.35 S are produced in the flasks which can subsequently escape into the environment.
Typically, escape of radioactive gases is continuous during incubation but most prevalent when the tissue culture container is opened for any reason. Once released, these gases will quickly contaminate the surrounding environment of the incubator, including interior walls, floors, shelves, fans and other areas. Experimental procedures involving radioactive labeling present health hazards to laboratory personnel due to inhalation of the radioactive gases. Currently, it is both hazardous and time consuming to decontaminate the incubator using traditional techniques.
There is thus a need for safe, effective techniques and equipment for preventing the release of radioactive gases during radioactive labeling experiments. Current practices for dealing with radioactive emissions from incubating cells or other items are not effective or practical for laboratory personnel.